


Balanced: Part 2

by orphan_account



Series: Katara's Courtship [4]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Bloodbending (Avatar), Brainwashing, F/M, Gen, Loss of Bending Ability, Memory Loss, Minor Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar), Spiritbending & Spiritbenders (Avatar), Tags Contain Spoilers, katara has trust issues, riku is azula
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:21:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25907269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Please read the previous three books in the series!Summer is approaching and time is running out. A summit between the nations is set to take place in just a few weeks, and that is where Zuko will announce not only his marriage to Xianji but also the execution of Ozai. Both actions are viewed unfavorably in the Fire Nation and threaten to spark a civil war. A war that a certain Earth Kingdom city-kingdom would be able to quell thanks to Xianji.Katara has her bending back, but it’s only a fraction of what it used to be. Riku has become her steadfast ally, but even that is threatened when a familiar face brings up memories that weren’t erased.She also has to finally face her fears. The choice between right and wrong is never easy and often the right choice comes with dire consequences. Comparing Riku’s past to her own future, Katara has to make peace with Zuko’s choice, her bloodbending, and putting herself before anyone and anything else.The enemy uses once friendly faces and Katara takes new allies with her to break Xianji’s hold. But will Riku turn out to be her best weapon or the key to her own destruction?Updates when the serotonin allows.
Relationships: Azula & Katara (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Katara's Courtship [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/616699
Comments: 12
Kudos: 40





	1. Return to Omashu

There was an open air market in the south eastern province of the Earth Kingdom that Katara loved. The people were as brown as her, but wore robes as loose and airy as Aang’s. The dyes were more vibrant and everything had a scent; even the hard packed dirt smelled like the saffron that seemed to color it. Spices of every sort were sold there and they were set out as conical spires, too perfect to look at sharply. 

Omashu’s main buildings resembled those spice cones, but everything was hewn from the same desert rock that surrounded the city-kingdom. It was impressive, but it wasn’t beautiful. 

That same color wiped the earth clean beneath them and made Katara almost seasick when she looked at it. Of course, there wasn’t much in her stomach to worry her. Their rations were short, since Rin’s brothers ate more than most and Aivilayoq was an additional mouth to feed. If they wanted to keep Aktuk’s body from decaying that is. 

Riku had quickly assessed the situation and meted out the rations, but they were all feeling weak and fatigued. The constant travelling also hadn’t helped; they had had no choice but to fly straight to Omashu lest Ruan or Xai Bau catch up to them. Lucky for them, Ruan didn’t know where they were headed and Xai Bau wasn’t aware of the spirit inside Aktuk’s body. 

They had to land outside of Omashu, on the other side of the bridge, and it gave Katara a vivid flashback. She remembered peering out toward the city-kingdom, having not yet seen a place so large before. Omashu had been breathtaking then; now it was just another Earth Kingdom stronghold. The feudal center of lands that stretched out with tenuous borders till it hit the next city kingdom. 

The sun was setting when they arrived, washing the desert stone in reddish light. It was muddied by the rock and looked like slurry. The imagery just weighed on her more. 

“Let’s go.” Riku said and pushed open the door to the airship. Haoran and Jiro jumped out to secure the lines while Katara moved slowly to stand next to Riku. Her knee was fine, but they were all stiff from sitting in the tight quarters for so long. 

Only Aivilayoq flowed out, giving them Aktuk’s smile to show either malice or amusement. It unnerved Katara to see his face; an inversion of her issue with Riku. 

“If it bothers you so much, shall I get a new body in the city?” Aivilayoq asked, seeming to read her mind. 

“No!” Katara snapped and clapped a hand over her eyes. “No killing.”

“That does not rule out a new body. You humans die all the time of very inconsequential things.” Aivilayoq replied. 

“I like her.” Riku said with a small smile.

Pulling her hand down her face, Katara only glared at Riku. 

“Don’t hurt anyone.” Katara said, turning to Aivilayoq.

“I am amused that you believe you have any say in this, but I will oblige on this matter.” She replied. 

“So what now?” Haoran asked as they all grouped up.

“We go in and talk to King Bumi. I’m going to need resources to get back into the Fire Nation palace, and you two will need somewhere safe to stay.” Katara said.

“Isn’t King Bumi insane?” Jiro questioned.

“Eeeeeeeh.” Katara intoned with a shrug. “Aang called him a mad genius, but I just think he’s odd. And very, very old.” 

They all started to walk to the bridge and Katara remembered the only other time she had done this. After the war, Aang had always flown them directly into Omashu and they never had to cross the bridge again. But even with the airship free of any nation’s sigil, both Katara and Riku had agreed that they couldn’t pull such a maneuver. 

At least this time she wouldn’t need a ridiculous alias. 

The sun had fallen below the line of the wall and the shadow was dark on this curve of the city-kingdom. A large bonfire illuminated a patch directly in front of the gate, and Katara saw a pair of guards watching them approach.

“Halt.” One called while they were still a few feet away. “State your name and business.”

“I’m Katara, of the Southern Water Tribe. These are my friends. We’re here to see King Bumi.” Katara answered in a clear voice. 

The guards conferred with each other, but the one who spoke turned and walked to them.

“Where’s your bison?” He asked as he got closer.

The weight of her hunger and exhaustion pressed on her and Katara sagged as she sighed. 

“I’m just here to play a game of pai sho with an old friend.” She said,her voice flat and emotionless. The guard startled and bowed.

“Welcome Master Katara. We’ll take you to the palace immediately.” He said.

The guard turned and they all followed as he walked back to the gate. Riku, shouldering their only pack, leaned in to whisper with Katara.

“Is there some secret society you’re a part of too?” She questioned. Katara snorted and shook her head.

“No, I just know enough people in one to ask for help.” She answered. 

They moved swiftly through the city. Another trolley system took them upward and into Bumi’s palace. The top courtyard was open and, during the day, the gazebos were refreshing spots to hide from the sun. Now it was just silent rock. 

The palace was entombed in the largest of the rock cones, so another trolley took them back down. Crystals of every sort illuminated their path and they bled into one pale line as the trolley sped up. When they finally stopped, Katara recognized the pale green light that poured over everything within the palace.

A woman in her sixties stood waiting for them. She bowed as everyone disembarked.

“Hello Master Katara and friends.” She said and stood with a smile. “Welcome back to Omashu.”

“Hi.” Katara said hesitantly. “Who are you?”

“My name is Jun. I’m technically King Bumi’s heir but I act more like his assistant.” She replied.

Katara sputtered and Riku looked at her, confused.

“I didn’t know Bumi had children.” Katara finally managed. Jun grinned and laughed, waving a hand in front of her. 

“Oh no, I’m not his daughter. My father was a tilemaker. King Bumi picked me because he said my name reminded him of an old friend.” She replied.

Katara turned, choking, and Riku stepped forward.

“He made you his heir because of your name?” She questioned.

“Oh, my name is less meaningful than the happenstance of birth?” Jun retorted. When Riku didn’t reply, she shook her head and continued. “I was wary at first as well, but since I’ve been working with Bumi, I’ve come to realize certain things. The only difference between me and a so-called legitimate heir is that my training has come a bit later.”

“Bumi’s wisdom was always a little different.” Katara admitted. 

“But you came here to see him, correct?” Jun asked.

“We did. We need his help.” Katara said.

“Of course. Dinner is about to be served and he’s just waking up from a nap. Please.” Jun turned and held out a hand. Katara glanced at Riku, who nodded.

They followed Jun into another room. It was where Bumi had thrown their feast when they first arrived in Omashu, and where they had met for many meals since. The lighting was a bit darker, but Jun waved a hand and they all instantly brightened. She was also a crystal bender then. 

Sitting at the long stone slab, Katara finally saw Haoran and Jiro seated at something more their size. The dense hardwood of the tea shop tables still looked flimsy against their stature, but nothing was bigger than pure cut rock. 

As they were seated, servants came around with dishes and a large tureen of soup. Another appeared from a dark corner, accompanying Bumi.

The hunch to his back was less of a ruse now, and his liver spots were darker on his thin skin. Tendons and veins were raised over his knobby hands, which trembled a bit under the weight of his rings.

“I don’t need a nanny,” Bumi snapped as the servant tried to help him into his seat. “I’m not yet a doddering old fool.”

“I beg to differ.” Jun said dryly, taking over for the servant.

“Insolent whelp. You should show more respect.” Bumi was gruff but avoided her face, looking intently at the chair instead as he lowered himself into it. 

“He’s become more like my grandfather than anything else.” Jun said to the table as Bumi sat down with a groan.

“I knew all three of your grandfathers. All of them cheated at cards.” Bumi grumbled. Jun only smiled at him and patted his shoulder before returning to her seat. 

“It’s good to see you again Bumi.” Katara said. 

“Same to you Katara. But where is Aang? I’d like to see him before I croak.” Bumi said.

“You’re not dying.” Jun interjected. Bumi waved her off and she shook her head as she poured the pale broth from the tureen into his bowl. 

“Aang’s gone off doing Aang things.” Katara said.

“Fair enough. Better than doing Avatar things I suppose, that always takes him a while to get around to doing.” Bumi chuckled at his own joke and Jun rolled her eyes. 

“So who are the rest of these hooligans you’ve brought into my kingdom?” He went on.

“This is my friend Riku, she’s from the Fire Nation. And these are Iroh’s stepsons, Haoran and Jiro.” Katara introduced them and they bowed their heads in turn. 

“And that one?” Bumi asked, gesturing to the end of the table where Aivilayoq watched a servant pour soup into her own bowl. 

“This one is Aktuk.” Aivilayoq said, not moving Aktuk’s gaze from the servant’s hand.

“The upstart from the North Pole?” Bumi asked and then looked at Katara. “What is he doing with you?” 

“Well, that isn’t actually Aktuk.” Katara started uneasily.

“I am the spirit Aivilayoq inside of this human’s body.” Aivilayoq added, sounding proud. 

“I will need a little more information about that.” Bumi said, sitting back in his chair.

“You need to eat.” Jun said to him.

“I can do both.” He retorted, bringing up a spoon to his mouth and slurping loudly.

Aktuk’s head tilted and Aivilayoq watched the exchange. After a moment, she turned to Katara.

“I’ve never been an Earthbender.” She said. 

“Stop.” Katara demanded. 

They ate and Katara told Bumi about what had happened in the Poles, omitting her involvement with Zuko. It was odd to now have a bigger picture of what happened; that Aktuk’s plot may not have been an isolated incident. 

“We had tried to recruit Aktuk and his sister into the White Lotus, due to their work with the Spirits. We sent Xai Bau but he told us they refused.” Bumi tapped a finger against the top of the stone slab. “You say Kanda recognized Aktuk as an ally?” 

Katara nodded. “They must have been working together.”

“And what was their plan?” Bumi asked.

“I don’t really know. It wasn’t clear.” Katara said.

“They wanted to open the portals in the oasis.” Aivilayoq said. Everyone at the table turned to her.

“There are places in each of the four nations where the veil is the thinnest. A Bender can open it, if they make a connection to the other side.” She went on. 

“They nearly killed me!” Katara said.

“When a Bender has not fully realized their power, extreme situations will usually unlock certain attributes. Have you not noticed the same thing of your Avatar?” Aivilayoq snorted. “They are all just Benders with more energy.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me that?” Katara questioned sharply.

“I do not care about the veil. In fact, it would only help me if it were gone.” Aivilayoq slurped up some of the soup. She then pointed the spoon at Katara. “Your job was to find my egg. Which you have abandoned so cruelly!” 

Putting her head in her hands, Katara slumped down and groaned. 

“Xai Bau must be doing something with the Spirits then, which isn’t surprising considering his mentor.” Bumi said, ignoring Aivilayoq.

“Can the White Lotus stop him?” Katara inquired.

“Of course!” Bumi bellowed, then softened as Jun glared at him. “Though it would be easier if we had some younger members. Us old fogeys aren’t as spry as we used to be.” 

“Is there anything else we can assist you with?” Jun asked.

“Yes, Riku and I need to return to the Fire Nation. Supplies would be great.” Katara said.

“And we need to off load these two behemoths.” Riku added, jerking a thumb at Haoran and Jiro.

“Hey.” They protested in unison.

“Xai Bau might see them as a threat and they need to lay low for some time, until he’s handled.” Katara clarified. 

“Of course. They’re welcome to stay here until then.” Jun said.

“And can we stay the night?” Katara asked. “We all need the rest I think.” 

“Certainly.” Jun answered.

“That’s all fine and dandy, but you left out the spirit thing.” Bumi said. 

“I go where the Waterbender goes.” Aivilayoq replied. Bumi shrugged and took another exaggerated slurp of soup.

The rest of dinner was spent talking about supplies, about tea, and about Haoran and Jiro’s mother. Katara and Riku looked at each other, unsure of how, or even if they should, tell Bumi about what was happening in the Fire Nation. 

After eating, Jun showed them to the large room where they would all be sleeping. It was very much like holding cell Katara had been in with Aang and Sokka during their first trip here together. But there was more furniture, it was a little nicer, and the earthen door was not wiped away when the servants left.

Although, this time she had two Earthbenders with her.

As they all started to settle in, Katara went to wash up. The bathing area was actually an artificial grotto with a man made pool. The water was heated by a massive fire underneath and the room was split in half for men and women. Katara shed her clothes and stepped gingerly into the hot water. The minerals made the water silky and Katara brought up handfuls over her arms.

The purple was completely gone. With a sigh, Katara pulled the water around her, soaking herself as she leaned against the wall of the pool. Having her bending back made her feel complete, but something was still off. There wasn’t the same strength behind her motions and she wasn’t bending the way she had even during the war. 

Sinking lower into the water, Katara could feel the surface tension next to her bottom lip. It was that feeling that pressed against her hands, something she couldn’t break through. Water had been an extension of herself, but now it was only something to manipulate. It made her feel weak. 

Hearing someone enter on the other side, Katara held her breath to see which of the brothers was getting in.

“May I join you?” Jun asked from behind Katara. With a yelp, Katara flipped around and floundered in the water.

“Sure.” She coughed out and Jun smiled as she stepped in.

“I didn’t know a Waterbender could drown.” Bumi called out from the other side of the wall.

“I try not to make a habit of it.” Katara retorted. 

Jun laughed lightly as she settled and Katara stilled, turning her face away. 

“So what’s your other problem, missy?” Bumi asked. 

“What do you mean?” Katara replied.

“Jun insists there’s something wrong.” Bumi said and Katara looked over at the woman.

“I raised two daughters. I can tell these things.” Jun added.

“There’s a situation in the Fire Nation.” Katara began.

“You bet there is.” Bumi said with a laugh. “Haven’t you heard that you’re missing?”

“I was aware of that.” Katara said wryly. 

“So did you get the boot or did you run?” Bumi asked.

“I ran.” Katara answered.

“And now you’re running back. Good for you.” Bumi said.

Katara nodded, knowing he couldn’t see, and sank back into the water.

“What made you run?” Jun asked gently.

Lifting her mouth above water, Katara still looked at the rock floor as she spoke. “I think either Xianji or Ruan has brainwashed the palace in order to take it over.” She said.

“Ah, Ruan. Such a charming girl she used to be.” Bumi mused and Katara looked at the wall.

“You knew her?” She asked.

“I trained her. Aren’t very many crystal benders in the world you know. That Beifong friend of yours is going to figure that out with her metalbending; specialties are hard to come by.” Bumi said. Thinking of her own bloodbending, Katara grumbled in a sort of agreement.

“What was she like?” Katara pressed.

“Too conniving by half. See, she was with me when Kuei was born. Up until then, she had been the heir, but with Kuei in the picture, she knew it was over. She wanted me to make her my heir.” Bumi laughed and it was a rattling sort of noise in his throat. 

“Why didn’t you?” Katara asked.

“Do you know how I became king?”

“Weren’t you-”

“I’ll save you the time. I was the last king’s bastard.” Bumi interrupted. “My mother taught me how to stay alive and to stay a decent person while doing so. The woman didn’t have enough common sense to keep away from the king when he was married, but she did alright by me.”

“Did you know you’d become king?” Katara asked.

“Not until the day it happened. My mother died of some sickness and the king tipped himself off a parapet in grief.” Bumi snorted. “For being the ruler of Omashu, he definitely missed the mark on recognizing his star crossed love.”

“Bumi’s dear mother was a tradesman’s daughter.” Jun said. “They were never permitted to marry due to their class difference.” 

“Do you think your parents should have married?” Katara asked.

Bumi was silent on the other side of the wall and Katara looked over at Jun. 

“As the king, there’s a lot of things I can do that don’t make sense because of the decades of stability and goodwill I’ve established. Like surrendering to the Fire Nation. My people didn’t rebel after everything was said and done because they trusted me.

“But that’s when the king is being the body of the kingdom. I was always representing Omashu. For matters of the heart, that’s more personal to people. A choice I make about love becomes a choice I put onto other people, and they’re more likely to get angry about it. If the king had married my mother, even after his first wife died, I don’t think the kingdom would have been happy about it.” Bumi explained. 

“Oma may have raised this city out of the ground to end a war, but her legacy of love stays in the tunnel.” Jun added. 

“So a king must always put his nation first?” Katara questioned.

“Now I didn’t say that. I said it was a choice. And anyway,” Bumi grunted and water sloshed on the other side of the wall as he moved around. “Oma and Shu’s villages don’t exist anymore, but Omashu does.” 

“Hmm.” Katara intoned and leaned back.

“Jun, I’m getting out. It’s too damned hot in here.” Bumi grumbled.

“Hold on, I’m coming.” Jun said and started to get out.

“I can manage you nag!”

“You’re going to slip so just wait one moment you ungrateful mule.” 

“I will not slip and oop!”

Jun froze, as she was drying off and Katara went stiff as she heard earth shift.

“BUMI.” Jun called nervously as she pulled her clothes on while still damp.

“I CAUGHT MYSELF.” Bumi retorted. “But, ehm, I do require some assistance.”

Cursing and muttering under her breath, Jun stormed through the doorway to access the other side of the grotto. Hearing the two start to snipe at each other, Katara relaxed and sank back into the water. 

Bumi’s wisdom was a bit sideways, but it did make sense. 

Getting out, Katara dried herself off slowly before dressing. Using her bending, she combed out her hair, taking out the moisture with each stroke. Then, walking back, Katara looked down at her hands again.

After everything was said and done, what did she have left? Paltry bending and no friends. She was going to need more backup if she was going to take on the palace, and one partially unstable Firebender was not ideal.

Plus there was the variable that was Aivilayoq. 

Her thoughts meandered around the subject, as she didn’t want to get into anything too serious before trying to sleep. Amaqjuaq was a possibility, and any warriors that were still in Kyoshi. Toph’s metalbending students could be useful, and maybe she should at least ask to see if Haoran and Jiro were interested in coming along. Their sister was also being held against her will. 

“Hey.”

Shaking herself, Katara looked up to see Riku standing from her place on the floor. 

“Why are you out here?” Katara asked.

“I wasn’t going to be alone in there with people I don’t know.” Riku replied.

“Sorry. I should’ve taken you with me.” 

Riku shrugged and looked back at the doorway. Katara watched her and shifted her weight from foot to foot.

“I was thinking.” Katara said and Riku turned to face her.

“Good to hear.” She said.

“Are you coming with me? To the palace?” Katara asked.

Looking confused, Riku leaned her head back a bit.

“Of course. I told you I would, didn’t I?” She responded.

“Not in so many words.” 

“Well, yeah. I am.”

“I think we’ll need reinforcements.”

“What, like them?” Riku questioned, pointing back over her shoulder toward their shared room. “I don’t know.”

“We can at least ask.” Katara said with a shrug.

“Will we need to? I mean, isn’t that spirit pretty capable?” Riku asked.

“Actually, I was hoping she’d help by finding the Avatar.” Katara said and Riku let out a guttural sound of frustration. 

“You would want to get rid of our best weapon.” She said as she stared up at the ceiling. 

“We can talk about it in the morning. Come on.” Katara said and lightly touched Riku’s arm. Still looking displeased, Riku went silently with her into the room. 

Since Aktuk’s body needed sleep, it was something Aivilayoq indulged in from time to time. So she, Haoran, and Jiro were three large bodies all snoring in the room. 

“This will be fun.” Riku muttered. “It’s like having three papas in one room.”

Katara watched Riku climb onto one of the open beds. It had been weeks since meeting her in the imperial city. In the apartment she shared with Noren, they had slept with their futons side by side. They were close.

Thinking back to the Fire Nation palace, Katara could remember only large, solitary bedrooms. 

She wondered what it would have been like growing up in such a place. It would have been terribly lonely.


	2. Flight

In the morning, they all met again for breakfast. Jun wheeled Bumi out in a chair while they griped at each other and Katara smiled over her eggs. Riku rolled her head around, trying to stretch her neck; Earth Kingdom styled beds were hard to sleep on, quite literally sometimes. But there was a big difference between a firm mattress and an actual rock.

Aivilayoq looked fine, but Katara doubted there was much of a physical connection between the spirit and the body she inhabited. Katara assumed sleeping on a bed of nails wouldn’t have been much for Aivilayoq. 

Haoran and Jiro, having gone to the bath, were talking animatedly about the crystal growth within the palace.

“What is it like being a crystal bender?” Katara asked suddenly. Jun looked surprised and then turned to Bumi, who shrugged.

“I’ve never been anything else.” Bumi said.

“How did you find out you could do it?” She questioned.

“I found out when I was helping my father with a mosaic piece. I was so focused on finding him the right shaped pieces, it took most of the day for either of us to realize I had been bending them the entire time!” Jun said and gave a light laugh. 

“I fell into some caverns and was messing around. Ending up harpooning half of the dye district on my way out.” Bumi chuckled. 

“We have a brother who is a Metalbender.” Haoran said.

“Do you think we could be too?” Jiro inquired.

“Can’t you be taught?” Katara asked, frowning. “Does it have to be genetic?”

“Bending ability usually is genetic, but it is possible for someone to learn a style with enough training, I suppose.” Jun looked puzzled. “I think perhaps why genetics matter to Earthbenders is a sort of, rigid adherence to form. It’s not easy to learn a different style and I can say that bending crystal is different than bending earth.”

“Well, only the noblest of families in the Fire Nation can bend lava.” Riku interjected primly.

“How so? Lava is just melted rock.” Haoran stated.

Riku sputtered for a second, then furrowed her brow deeply. “Well, there are rooms of lava that only Firebenders can get through.”

“And how do you know that?” Jiro questioned.

“I-” Riku stopped and her frown overtook her face. She rubbed an eye with a knuckle, furiously trying to rub out the pain Katara knew was building there.

“Lots of people from the imperial city know. Plus, my brother flew with Aang and Toph over one on the Day of Black Sun invasion.” Katara said quickly. 

“Maybe they bend the heat?” Haoran offered.

“They’re not Heatbenders Haoran.” Jiro retorted dryly. 

The two started to bicker over the impossibilities of bending and Katara glanced at Riku. She was still rubbing her eye, but with less pressure. The look of frustrated confusion was still on her face.

Looking up, Katara met Bumi’s eye. She couldn’t even shrug and just breathed, waiting to see what he would do or say. Katara didn’t even know if he knew the truth. Zuko was the one telling people he thought should know what actually happened in Hira’a. And it was established early on, as Sokka told her, that the White Lotus in its entirety was not going to know.

But whatever Bumi knew, he didn’t say, and only turned back to finish eating. 

After breakfast, Jun went around with them to gather supplies and brought everything to the top of the palace. Haoran and Jiro watched excitedly as their things were loaded into the earthen carts and sent shooting down the rail system. Katara laughed as she remembered her own perilous trip on them, skidding off the tracks and going airborne to avoid capture or death. 

Maybe it wasn’t all that amusing.

Riku certainly didn’t look pleased. Her head twitched around on her neck, looking around in the empty sky. 

“I guess we should talk about who’s going where.” Katara started.

“We can come with you.” Jiro said and slapped his brother’s shoulder with the back of his hand. “Haoran and I are strong enough to handle ourselves.” 

“It would definitely be more fun.” Haoran added.

“Things are plenty fun around here! I’ll even let you exercise with Flopsy!” Bumi cackled. Haoran and Jiro grimaced, while Katara shook her head.

“Riku and I were talking about it last night. It might be useful to have some reinforcements when we storm the palace.” She said. 

Jiro wandered over to the edge of the deck and peered down at the whizzing carts. 

“Then we’ll be there. Did you want to pick up Lei on the way?” Haoran asked.

“Might help with Rin.” Katara replied dryly.

“I still can’t believe this system. It looks so efficient.” Jiro said, turning to speak over his shoulder. 

Bumi shuffled over with Jun following him.

“Bringing them up takes work, but going down is easy.” Bumi remarked.

“Get down!” Riku yelled.

Katara was knocked hard to the ground and winced. Riku rolled off of her and pulled out blades of fire. 

“What-” She started as she slowly raised herself up. Arrows were stuck in a line leading up to where she had just been standing. 

Just as another volley was loosed, all of the Earthbenders came around. A wall of rock curved up in front of them, but one arrow made it through. It sliced into Katara’s arm and she yelled. Getting to her feet, she clenched her arm and hissed through her teeth.

“Yuyan archers.” Riku announced. “New ones, since we’re still alive.” 

“Well what do we do?” Jiro asked.

“Get back underground.” Riku replied. 

“You heard the girl.” Bumi said. He and Jun moved in a circle, pulling a dome over them. They didn’t hear anything hit their shield and so they started to move. As if moving under a cup, Jiro and Haoran helped push the dome back toward the palace entrance.

Then a boulder was dropped on top of them.

The dome held, but cracks ran like rivers down the curve. 

“Time to go on the offensive.” Jun said.

“Open it.” Riku said. 

With the noises of effort, the Earthbenders pulled back the dome and Riku shot upward on jets of fire. 

“I see them!” Riku shouted down to them, pointing off to the east side of the spire. A group of twenty men were sliding down the side, one Yuyan Archer paired with an Earthbender that controlled their sled. 

The archers were drawing again. 

Swearing, Katara healed her wound with the water from her pouch. She didn’t have much else to work with and she cursed further. 

Arrows flew toward them and blue fire ripped like a net across the deck. As it fell, Jiro and Haoran advanced. Their forms matched perfectly and they lifted massive boulders before sending them launching. Reaching out, Jun and Bumi caught them and broke them apart, raining their own missiles down on the attackers. 

The Earthbenders deflected the onslaught and they finally hit the deck. 

The arrows came faster than expected.

Turning to yell, Katara watched as one hit Aivilayoq between the eyes. The heavy THOC hit Katara in the throat and she staggered backward. 

“Bumi!” Jun screamed. Katara turned and watched as Jun pushed the ground under Bumi, sending him flying sideways. An arrow sunk into her shoulder and she cried out.

“Idiot.” Bumi yelled. “You’re my heir.”

He pulled on an armor of rock as Haoran and Jiro pulled up another shield of rock.

“They’re pushing us backward!” Haoran shouted.

“Get out of here Bumi.” Katara said.

“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Bumi grumbled. The ground under Jun sank quickly and his own rock suit dissolved, leaving nothing behind. 

“If they want us off the deck, then we get off the deck.” Riku said.

“How?” Jiro asked. 

“We go for a ride.” Katara said and grabbed Riku’s arm.

“What?” Haoran sputtered and watched as Katara started to run for the edge.

Pulling their shield after them, Haoran and Jiro followed. 

“Grab a cart!” Riku shouted. Jiro darted forward and used his bending to pull up one of the mail carts. They all scrambled in and Jiro stood to give them a push down. As he did, an arrow hit the edge of their barrier and sent a chip of rock flying. Hitting him in the head. Jiro crumpled on top of them.

Haoran grabbed his brother but they all started to yell as they went flying down the rail. 

“They’re following!” Riku said, turning. Blades of fire swiped in quick arcs, burning away some of the arrows. Others hit the rock around them, one landing right in front of where Katara held onto the edge of the cart.

“Can we take them on?” Katara asked.

“I wouldn’t go up against a Yuyan Archer even on their first day.” Riku said. 

Looking around, Kataranearly shouted in joy. A reservoir or water was ahead of them and she immediately grabbed for it. 

Not being up to her full strength, Katara got less water than she wanted but it was better than nothing. She whipped it around them, freezing it just as a hail of rocks came shooting at them. 

“How are we getting out of here?” Haoran asked. 

“We need to pull another Ba Sing Se.” Riku said.

“No.” Katara said. 

“Watch out!” Riku yelled, blowing up a particularly large rock with a fireball.

Grumbling, Katara stood behind Riku. The extremely cramped space restricted their movements but they were able to create a fluid sort of buffer between them and their assailants.

Then the archers started coming down faster.

“Okay, we need to go now.” Riku said.

“I’ll wake up Jiro.” Katara said. Twisting around, she flicked water into Jiro’s face and he sat up, sputtering. 

“What’s-” He started but stopped as Haoran grabbed his arm.

“Make a ramp in fifty feet. I’m going to give us some more speed.” Haoran said. Jiro, his face pale, nodded.

“We’re gonna hit this thing fast.” Haoran said, taking his stance.

“I’ll take care of it.” Riku replied.

“It’ll be fine.” Katara added.

Katara poured the water down on the rail behind them, turning it to ice. The first ones to hit the ice lost control and went skidding off the rail. The ones following were able to bend around the issue, but it gave them enough space to let down their guard. 

The cart hit the ramp and they were in the empty sky. 

Riku grabbed the edge of the cart and flipped herself over. With a yell, Katara darted to the edge; Riku was still holding on with her knees to her chest.

As they continued to rise, Riku suddenly kicked out and a large tail of blue fire shot from her feet. She held it for only a few seconds, but the cart went racing even higher. After the fire died down, Riku pulled herself up and collapsed on Katara.

“Hopefully that gets us over the pit.” She said in between her panting.

“The pit?” Katara asked and then, as realization struck, felt her stomach sink.

The deep trench that ran a ring around Omashu. They had to make it over the wall and that void moat.

“Uh guys?” Katara asked, panicked.

“On it.” Haoran said. 

As they started to fall, Katara held Riku up to her chest and closed her eyes. 

They all had to make it. They all had to survive this.

“Here it comes!” Jiro yelled. Squeezing both Riku and her closed eyes, Katara braced for something unknown. When the cart hit something, it rattled her teeth. When it kept sliding, she opened her eyes. 

Jiro and Haoran had pulled up another rail. 

Laughing, Katara relaxed her grasp on Riku and they all braced for impact. Haoran and Jiro were able to keep the cart steady as it hit flat ground but it was awkward getting out over the high edges.

“It’ll take them a second.” Katara said.

An arrow ripped through her tunic and sunk halfway up the shaft into the earth.

“Run.” Riku said.

They ran as fast as they could, heading to where their airship was docked. As they came up, Haoran skidded to a stop, holding out his arms. 

Six men, with weapons glinting in the sunlight, stood among the bodies of Earth Kingdom guards.

“Hit them fast. We have to get out of here.” Riku said.

“I don’t have enough water.” Katara said.

“They have plenty.” Riku retorted, gesturing with her chin at the assassins. 

Clenching her jaw, Katara glared at Riku. 

“We have to go.” Jiro said. 

Squeezing her hands into fists, Katara felt her jaw work as she stared into Riku’s gold eyes. Riku didn’t flinch, didn’t look even slightly bothered.

“Fine.” She spat. Then, turning to Haoran and Jiro, shook out her hands.

“Get me up close.” Katara said.

Jiro and Haoran made a wedge of rock and lifted a platform under them. They pushed the sled forward and Katara counted.

Six heartbeats.

As they got close, Haoran and Jiro pulled down the wedge and pulled the sled sideways to a stop. Katara stepped off with her hands up. Turning her hands until the backs faced the men, she caught their pulses one by one. 

Then, shifting her weight onto her back foot, Katara clenched her hands once again. Every man stiffened, their hands contorting and dropping their swords. Pushing her fists down, the men sank to the ground, gasping. 

“Get the ship going.” Katara said, pushing the words through her teeth. Riku went quickly, darting through the frozen men. It took Haoran and Jiro a second longer, but they went to the ship just as Riku blew fire into the furnace. 

Walking slowly, Katara pushed the men away from her as she advanced. Their faces were darkening and sweat poured down them, but Katara held on. As soon as she stepped onto the ship, she relaxed her hands and the men passed out.

“Let’s go.” Katara muttered. 

“Where-” Haoran leaned against the edge of the ship, rubbing at his hairline. “Where’s the spirit guy?”

“Aivilayoq is on her own.” Katara said.

Riku went about the ship and they started to rise quickly. So quickly that the rest of them toppled onto the floor. Katara pulled herself up, her legs supporting her as weakly as a tower of jelly. Gripping the edge of the airship basket, Katara leaned over the side and heaved up the contents of her stomach.

She could still feel their heartbeats in her guts and the taut strings in her hands as she pulled them down. It felt like cracking a bone with her hands, while the animal still lived. 

Wiping her mouth with a shaking hand, Katara slid down to her knees and rested her head against the warm metal side.

Jiro pushed himself back, bracing himself against the edge of the ship.

“What was that?” He asked.

“The assassins?” Katara questioned. She rolled her forehead against the edge to look at him.

‘“Your bending.” He said.

Katara closed her eyes and stood up. It took her a moment before she opened her eyes, looking back down at the ground.

“It’s called bloodbending. I’m the only one that can do it.” She said. Hama was powerless now, even if she wasn’t yet dead and gone. 

“How did you-” Jiro started.

“Enough.” Haoran snapped.

“We have to get rid of this airship.” Riku said and then looked at the rest of them. “Someone check our supplies.” 

To distract herself, Katara started to pull out items, handing things to Haoran and Jiro to repack what they could feasibly carry. They were well stocked, even with some of the supplies not making it onto the airship. When she found a small bag of jennamite, she handed a piece to Riku.

“Are you going to drag us across the Earth Kingdom again?” Katara asked. Riku, clenching the jennamite shard in her teeth, shook her head.

“We can’t afford the wait. We’ll have to go straight there, but we need a secure way of travel.” She said.

“It’s going to be dangerous. People are obviously looking for us.”

“You know, there was a book I read where the main characters had to sneak into a kingdom by pretending they were married.” Jiro said.

Riku snorted and rolled her eyes. 

“Why like that?” Katara asked.

“People tend to ignore domestic things. Like even a merchant sticks out more than a farmer with his kids heading into town.” Jiro explained.

“Can’t be any worse than we’ve already gone through.” Riku said.

Spotting a road, Riku knew it had to lead to a village. Landing the airship before anyone could spot them, Riku and Katara set about packing their supplies while Haoran and Jiro buried the ship. As they walked in the direction Riku assumed was the village, they went over their stories. 

It took them three hours of walking, but they finally managed to get to the edge of the small village. The plains were just beginning and they had passed large, shaggy animals with massive horns tugging at the short cropped grass. 

When they got to the first house that had their torches lit, they walked up. Haoran knocked on the door and looked back at them.

As the door opened, they saw an equally brawny man standing in the doorway.

“Can I help y’all?” The man asked, clearly confused.

“Sir, we’ve come from Omashu and were attacked by bandits. Do you know where we might rest, and perhaps buy another transport?” Haoran inquired.

“Omashu? Why are you leaving that place son?” The man questioned.

“Well, our wives…” Haoran trailed off as he turned back. Riku, holding onto Jiro’s arm, glanced at the man in the doorway for just a second before hiding her face. Just enough time for him to see her gold eyes.

The man grunted and rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Folks around here won’t take too kindly to them either unfortunately. This place was hit hard when the Fire Nation came.” He said.

Then, with a sigh, the man looked back into his house.

“You got coin son?” He asked, eyeing Haoran.

“Yes sir. The bandits got our cart, but we were able to keep our purses and some small things.” Haoran replied. 

“Alright. I got a pair of ostriches you can buy off me. Come on in.” The man said and stepped aside.

“Thank you, sir.” Haoran said with a short nod before walking in.

“Name’s Hu.” The man said. Haoran shifted and Katara stood behind him, pulling the blanket around her shoulders up further around her neck. 

“I’m Duan, and this is my wife Mitsuki. My brother is Yang and his wife, Kazumi.” Haoran said, gesturing over to Jiro and Riku. 

“Didn’t think there were any Fire Nation people left in Omashu.” Hu said as he closed the door. “Come on, my missus was just putting away dinner.” 

“Thank you, sir.” Jiro said. “We appreciate your help.” 

“It’s how I was raised, son. It’s a harsh land out there, we can’t just abandon folks.” Hu said. “You boys come out with me and we can get the animals hitched up.”

Hu walked down the hall and paused to lean into an open doorway on the left. 

“Hey Song, sweetheart? We got some guests.” Hu called.

“Was that them at the door?” A woman’s voice asked. Hu stepped back and his wife came out.

Half of her face was badly burned and she was blind in her right eye. Still, she looked at each of them without surprise and wiped her hands on a rag. 

“That’s right. These fine folks got attacked by some bandits on their way from Omashu.” Hu said.

Katara saw Riku’s hands tighten around Jiro’s arm.

“Poor dears. We’ll have some tea, okay?” Song said.

“I’m taking their men out to hitch up Bess and Meg.” Hu said.

“Alright dear. You might want to pen up the cattle if the bandits are back.” Song added.

“I’ll wake up the boy.” Hu said and turned to them. “Ready?” 

Haoran and Jiro followed him down the hall and out a back door, while Riku and Katara stood quietly in front of Song. The woman looked at them and put her hands on her hips. 

“Let me guess, just married?” Song asked.

“Yes ma’am.” Katara answered.

“I was terrified after I got married and I had known Hu since we was kids.” Song clicked her tongue and shook her head. “Don’t know why they have to make them Earthbenders so damn big.” 

“Ma’am, is it okay that we’re here?” Katara asked.

“Why? ‘Cause you’re Fire Nation? Doesn’t bother me none, unless you were the ones who burned up my face.” Song said. “Now come on, y’all hungry?”


	3. Landlocked

Song made up a small pack of food while Riku and Katara sat drinking tea. Being partially blind, the woman kept a hand on the counters that ran around the kitchen. If she had been burned only when the Fire Nation took Omashu, then her injury was less than ten years old. Still, Song moved confidently in her box, her feet taking small, sliding steps. 

When Hu returned, they all packed up in the worn cart hitched to the two ostrich mounts. Standing in their doorway, Song and Hu waved as they pulled away.

Haoran and Jiro sat on the driving board, while Riku and Katara tucked in among their things in the cart. Riku was quiet and Katara leaned against a bag of feed, reminiscent of her sleeping on rice on Captain Thuy’s ship. She wasted so much time just traveling to places. 

“Will we be quick enough?” Katara asked. 

Stuff into a corner of the cart, Riku pushed her fingers into her hairline.

“I think so.” She replied.

“Are you okay?” Katara questioned gently. 

Riku opened her other hand and stared at it as she turned it back and forth.

“I wasn’t a good person, before. Did I,” Riku paused, her palm up. “Hurt people?”

Sighing, Katara pressed her face into the burlap sack of feed. The kernels rolled uncomfortably against her cheek.

“Yes.” She finally answered. “You hurt people.”

“People like Song?” Riku asked. 

Chang’s face swam up in Katara’s memory and she closed her eyes. 

This time Katara didn’t answer, but she did lay out her arm. From the other side of the bag, Riku took her hand, holding it lightly. Katara listened as Riku shifted to take up a spot on the other side of the bag, pushing Katara up a bit. Squeezing Riku’s hand, Katara opened her eyes and looked out over the side of the cart. 

The beige rock turned yellow in the distance; this was the outer edges of the prairie land. Somewhere, dozens of miles further inland, Ankhnyam might have her herd of rhino yaks and her husband with the bad leg. 

“Remember Ankhnyam?” Katara asked.

“The lady with the weird accent on the ship?” Riku replied.

“Do you think she went home?” 

“It hasn’t been that long.” 

“Hmm.” Katara kept looking out, wincing when her head hit the bag after the cart rolled over an especially large rock. 

“We shouldn’t have stopped at the farm.” Riku stated.

“Why’s that?” Katara asked.

“They’re going to tell people they saw us.” Riku said.

“No, I don’t think they will.” 

“How can you possibly be so sure?”

“They’re kind people.”

“People with burned faces are rarely kind.” Riku muttered. 

A breeze passed over them, bringing the smell of dirt and dry grass. During the war, they had spent so much time in the Earth Kingdom and it always smelled a bit like that; even in Ba Sing Se the rock buildings baked in the midday sun. Flying above it, the air would swirl first among the plains before swooping up to the sky. It’s what gave the clouds enough grit to form.

When they got to Omashu a second time, they could smell the ash. It had never stopped them though, even as they let out the last of the kingdom’s citizens. They had to go somewhere. But she only focused on the kingdom, on Bumi, and fighting the Fire Nation.

Song may have been laying in her sickbed, dying under a bandaged face, and Katara had never known. 

There was a price to war. Zuko had tried to tell them that over and over, but she had never understood. There was never any reason to, after the fact, when they were the heroic winners and everyone rejoiced when they came around. 

There was never any reason to look at the burned out buildings or the maimed.

Zuko had talked about a few things; the refugees of the ship when he sailed to Ba Sing Se. Or the girl he met there. Or another time, when he was alone, and he saw the hatred of soldiers that would wipe away any trace of friendship. 

Katara never had to pay that price.

Touching her neck, she wondered what this meant. What was this new cost, and what did it portend? Something was building and it was a costly beast.

In the prairie, a breeze blew chaff over the hot earth. A spirit lay bleeding on the rock of the palace in Omashu. And under the thin skin of her palm, Katara felt the warmth of Riku’s hand. 

Their travel labored slowly but at least they weren’t on foot. They would take breaks to feed and water the ostrich horses, but not for much else. That night, Riku burned small sticks and grass while they passed around Song’s pack.

Haoran and Jiro stuck together, conferring together as they looked over Bess and Meg. Normally suspicious, Riku was listless and poked at her fire. Waving and cupping her hands around it, the small fire followed her like an adoring pet. 

Katara tucked in near her, offering her a bowl of rice. They ate in silence; while Katara watched the brothers nap, Riku stared off into the distance.

“I’ve hurt people too you know.” Katara said suddenly.

“The people trying to kill us don’t count.” Riku replied.

“They do though. The reason we have war is because people think the way you do. That there’s some sort of criteria that makes it okay to hurt someone.” Katara said. 

“But that’s a fairy tale, this is real life. People are going to come for you and you have to protect yourself.” Riku argued.

Katara shook her head. “It wasn’t right what I did.”

“Well I’m certainly glad you did it. I enjoy being alive.” Riku picked up a generous bite of rice with her chopsticks and pushed it into her mouth. 

Looking down at her hands, Katara wondered if the shadows hid a tinge of purple. 

“I hurt you, Riku.” She said.

Riku held her chopsticks in the air as she stopped chewing. After a moment, she swallowed and put down her bowl. Laying the chopsticks neatly on top, Riku brushed invisible rice grains from her lap. 

“Was I trying to kill you?” She asked while plucking at the fabric of her pants.

Katara didn’t answer.

“When we get to the palace, the princess is most certainly going to try to kill you.” Riku said. “You are going to have to fight her and your bloodbending is the best way to do so.”

“No, I’m never doing that again.” Katara said.

“Be reasonable.”

“You don’t get to tell me that.” Katara snapped. 

Riku turned, her head tilted, and regarded Katara. 

“I truly must have been monstrous for you to hate me this much.” She said.

Shocked, Katara leaned away.

“I don’t hate you-” She started and Riku, looking bored, stared at her. 

“Let’s get some sleep.” Riku said and got up, dusting off the back of her pants before walking to the cart. 

As Katara pulled out a bedroll - some had magically appeared when Hu helped load up their things - she paused to look back out over the prairie. As the sun set, the retreating light looked like a healing bruise against the oncoming night. Clouds streaked across the shrinking pocket and the rest of the sky was open and empty.

Riku built up the fire for the night, but they all created spaces in the cart to sleep. The fire would keep back any unwanted animals while the cart lifted them from the cold ground. Once again twisted among sackcloth and nearer to Riku, Katara rolled onto her back and saw stars instead of the metal ceiling of a ship. 

The stars came out slowly as the sun set, until they finally exploded in the total darkness. They looked like snow that had been kicked across a freshly dyed tunic. The soft white nonetheless crisp against the blue that was so wet, it looked purple. 

The desert prairie sky expanded for miles in every direction, but especially up. Katara didn’t know how there was enough air in the world to fill the space between her and the top of the sky. 

For the first time in a long time, she thought about Hira’a. She didn’t have to worry about taking a shift; Azula was comfortably restrained within Riku. But this was another journey, searching for someone that was lost, and Riku was yearning for something she didn’t understand.

Lifting her hands up over her face, Katara slowly turned them back and forth. She couldn’t think like Azula; there were some lines she should never cross. Yet after everything she had been through, Katara had yet to actually win. Chang had died, plenty of people nearly died in the South Pole, and for the past season, she had been on the run with her pursuers just at her heels. Katara didn’t even know if she was capable of doing what she had to, and there wasn’t anywhere else she could run to now. 

Lowering her hands with a sigh, Katara kept looking up at the sky. Just like the arid land they travelled through, the sky was one unending, unchanging blanket. They would get to the next town sometime in the afternoon, and then move on. That was if the assassins didn’t catch up to them, or Xia Bau popping up unexpectedly.

And their best weapon she had left to die in Omashu. Katara flipped onto her side and stared intently at the rough boards of the cart. Maybe she had convinced herself that Aivilayoq couldn’t die, but Katara had never seen a spirit inside of a person before. And even if Aivilayoq was with them, it only made her the actor for what Katara said she wouldn’t do.

Am I just expecting others to do what I know I should be doing? Katara asked herself. The sadness was tight in her stomach, making her pull her knees up and sniffle. For as crazy as she was, at least Azula never delegated her dirty work in order to keep her hands clean. 

From the very beginning, Katara had wanted someone else to do what she was scared of. She wanted Zuko to abandon his sister, she wanted Aang to disappear, and she wanted Amaqjuaq to stay quietly in his place in the North Pole. Well, she had gotten what she wanted, and now there was no one to help her.

No one except for the tortured princess who had tried to kill her, tried to kill people that Katara loved. 

Still sniffling, Katara rubbed her eyes angrily. Hama had started all of this. Of course Katara had been happy to see other Waterbenders, but Hama had been the only other Bender from the South Pole. She had understood what Katara had gone through, what she had grown up in. 

Hama had fought to keep that, and Katara had condemned her. Even when Hama had never returned home, believing that she had tainted something. And Katara could never swallow the duality of Hama’s choices. She had abandoned an elder to keep her own vision of things safe.  
And it was only then that Katara remembered the Southern Air Temple.

Aang explained after a particularly bad nightmare, in horrifying detail, what he had seen. The position of the skeletons explained what had happened: Gyatso, against the tenet of non-violence, had removed all of the air in the room. He and every single Fire Nation soldier suffocated to death. 

Hama had escaped imprisonment and, like a creature hunting the ice fields, taken her revenge on every full moon.

Katara could abide one, but not the other. 

Staring at her hands once again, Katara thought about the stains she carried. Like the spirit poison, it was carried inside of her. 

There had to be things worth holding onto. She was the most accomplished Waterbender of her age. A master, she could best experienced Benders in any discipline or element. Katara just had to find another way. 

Shifting her weight and feeling the sharp pressure against her shoulder from the stiff boards under her, Katara shut her eyes. 

Something wet hit her cheek and Katara’s eyes snapped back open. Dawn was milky as the sunlight filtered through thin clouds. Sitting up, Katara felt weak and disoriented. More wet drops hit her and she heard grumbles start from around her.

“Want to help out with that Waterbender?” Riku muttered.

“Right, sure.” Katara said and swung her arms up. The light rain turned into a mist as it neared the cart, but still fell on the occupants.

“Is that the best you can do?” Riku asked, sitting up and rubbing her hair to disperse the rain. 

Frowning, Katara sat up and tried again. Moving her hand in a small circle around her head, the rain hit her barrier but slid off, falling instead on her shoulder in denser blobs. 

“Oh nevermind.” Riku sighed and shook out her bedroll before folding the thin mattress over her head. 

“We’ll dry them when the sun comes out.” Haoran said. Jiro sat up with a jaw cracking yawn and they all rushed around to get the cart moving. Riku used her bending to get rid of the fire while Jiro sleepily wiped away the traces. Haoran hitched the ostriches and Jiro did the same to their own traces. 

“Either of you want to sit up front?” Jiro asked as Haoran climbed onto the driving board.

“No thanks.” Katara said and settled back, pulling her bedroll over herself. 

“No.” Riku replied and Jiro shrugged before stepping up.

“Suit yourself.” He said and Haoran snapped the reins.

Katara looked over at Riku but her face was obscured by the bedroll. Unsure of what to say, Katara rested her arm on the side of the cart and looked out.

The rain clouds were massive piles of fluff over the prairie. She could see the dark column of rain and wondered again just how big everything had to be to make a rainstorm look so small. 

The breeze from yesterday was stronger now, but instead of carrying the scent of rain, it just smelled like mud and wet feathers. Holding out a hand, Katara let the rain pool in her palm. Then, similar to how Riku stroked the fire, Katara attempted to shape it.

For a moment, the disc of rainwater hung in the air. It wasn’t a perfect shape and Katara had to focus on keeping it with her despite the movement of the cart. But as she tried to freeze it, the disc broke and the water fell away from her control. 

“You haven’t used your bending in awhile.” Riku said suddenly.

Katara turned, but Riku was still hidden under the bedroll.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“I mean you suck because you haven’t been bending. Same as if you’re bedridden with an illness. It takes a while to build up the muscle.” Riku explained.

“I don’t think it works like that.” Katara replied, annoyed.

“No? Then tell me why I had to go back to bending practice when I hear my mother talk about how amazing I used to be.” Riku shot back. 

Forcing her mouth closed, Katara crossed her arms on the side of the cart and rested her chin on them.

“Losing your memory of your bending isn’t the same as getting sick.” She finally said.

“You have a better idea, Miss Know-it-all?” Riku question. 

When Katara didn’t reply, Riku continued. “Waterbenders are so fussy. You put them somewhere landlocked in a drought and they’re practically useless. And that’s probably why you all never leave your tribes.” 

Rolling her eyes, Katara turned her face away and watched the prairie. 

“Of course Firebenders never have that problem.” Riku added.

“Not unless you put them in a block of ice.” Katara muttered.

It took her a moment to realize there was something off about the silence. Pushing the bedroll off her head, Katara looked over at Riku. Having also removed the bedroll, Riku was now staring off into space.

“What you did to Kanda, you’ve done that before.” Riku said dreamily. Then she turned and met Katara’s eye. “Haven’t you?”

Katara remembered vividly as Azula’s lightning pierced Zuko’s abdomen like a lance. But it had been alive, snapping in jagged angles as it raced toward him. And then Azula had kept her away from him, kept her from healing him. 

Azula was going to let her brother die and make Katara watch helplessly. 

But her keening, after the ice melted, that sound stayed with Katara for a long time. Azula’s soul rending grief had ripped through Katara and Zuko both, but they stood together. The relief of it all made them strong. 

“Yes.” Katara answered.

Riku contemplated this, frowning and again staring off as she saw things only in her memory. A memory that was filled with holes and containing no narrative. Ozai had been excised completely, and it left a lot of empty space. 

But Ozai hadn’t called for that Agni Kai. 

“How well did we know each other, before?” Riku asked.

“Not well.” Katara admitted. “Not well enough to understand each other.” 

“So what lies between us was only a misunderstanding?” Riku questioned with a laugh. Katara sighed and Riku shook her head.

“I know enough about the end of the war to know who you are Katara. And if I was so close to the royal family as to warrant all of this, then I can’t imagine it was all just a cultural misunderstanding.” Riku continued. 

“It’s probably because the Fire Nation tried to kill everyone on the face of the earth.” Jiro spoke up from the driving board.

“Finally, some honesty.” Riku said, throwing her arms up before reclining against the side of the cart. 

“It looks like that last town was hit hard in the war. Hu didn’t say much, but I could tell.” Haoran said. 

“I mean, we all saw his wife.” Jiro said. 

They were all quiet for a moment.

“I bet it was nice staying safe within your walls at Ba Sing Se.” Riku said.

The air charged immediately and Katara shrank back from it. She watched the backs of the brothers and saw the matched, straight line of their shoulders. They made a wall of their own sitting side by side.

“Our father died in the siege.” Haoran stated dryly.

“And the princess breached the walls at the end. She and her,” Jiro cut himself off with frustrated restraint. “She nearly killed the Avatar.” 

“You were there, weren’t you Katara?” Haoran asked. 

Katara looked at Riku, who held herself perfectly still in her relaxed position. 

“I was. I,” She struggled over the words. “Was thrown into the catacombs with the Fire Lord.” 

Haoran heaved out a heavy sigh and some of the tension dissipated. 

“It was hard to stay angry when I found out what happened. Iroh told us about the royal family and what his brother did to his kids.” He said.

Jiro now sighed as well, slumping forward. 

“I’m surprised Zuko is as nice as he is, to be honest. A shame about his sister.” He admitted. 

“Hey Katara, did Rin ever tell you what happened when we all met Zuko for the first time?” Haoran asked, turning to look briefly over his shoulder.

Turning her face away from Riku, Katara knelt and shook her head.

“Chang told me a little bit.” She said.

“Oh, Chang!” Jiro said, sitting up as he slapped his leg. “Spirits she was a fun woman.”

“Zuko did not know how to handle all of us.” Haoran said and chuckled.

“I haven’t even been in the same room as all four of you, but it must’ve been a lot.” Katara remarked.

“Four? Oh no, you didn’t meet our older brother. There are five of us.” Haoran said.

“Five?” Katara exclaimed in shock.

“Rin is the oldest, then it’s Guo, me, Wang Lei, and baby Jiro.” Haoran explained.

“Five of you? In that tiny tea shop?” Katara sputtered and started to laugh.

“No one could understand how mom and dad were so small yet every single one of their kids were huge.” Jiro said. 

“And I thought it was bad sharing a room with my little sister.” Riku murmured.

Surprised, Katara turned sharply to look at her. Seeing Katara staring, Riku looked away with a faint blush. 

“No wonder you’re so grumpy. Older sisters are just like that.” Haoran remarked. Jiro snorted but Riku frowned.

“I’m not, I’m…” She drifted and shook her head. “I mean, I’m adopted.”

“Doesn’t really matter if you’re toes to nose in a bed.” Haoran said. “Family is family once you get used to the smell of their feet.” 

“Are you older or younger Katara? Rin mentioned you have a brother.” Jiro asked.

“Younger. Though growing up, Sokka certainly treated me like I was older.” Katara answered, unamused. 

“I hope Rin is okay.” Haoran said suddenly. 

Katara looked down and her shoulders fell.

“I don’t know why she stayed in the palace. No one said she had to.” Jiro said. “Mom loves Zinna.” 

“She stayed for Zuko.” Katara said, grabbing at her pants. “Everyone else had left him, even Iroh.” 

_Even me._ She thought. 

“Those two have the same kind of hurt.” Haoran said in agreement.

“Except the Fire Lord can’t recognize someone else’s hurt even if it’s happening right in front of him.” Riku said derisively. 

“What? Are we thinking of the same guy?” Haoran asked with an awkward laugh.

“Is there someone else walking around, proudly displaying his badge of dishonor?” Riku questioned. Sitting up she lifted her hand to her face but froze, her palm hovering in front of her left eye.

“Riku?” Katara asked softly. Shifting forward, Katara put a hand on the floor between them. “Riku?”

“I wanted to watch him burn.” Riku whispered. “No one ever saw when he burned me.” 

Tears fell down Riku’s face and she started to tremble.

“No one ever saw him burn me.” She continued to whisper. 

“Is she okay?” Jiro asked. 

As Riku crumpled in on herself, Katara shuffled over quickly and held her.

“How close are we to the next town?” She asked, looking over Riku’s head at Jiro.

“Should be a couple of hours.” He replied uneasily, his eyes darting over to Riku.

“Let’s just focus on getting there.” Katara said.

Jiro turned to face forward and Katara moved so that she was back against the side. Pulling Riku around, Katara wrapped her arms around her. Slowly rubbing Riku’s arm, Katara waited for the sobs.

But Riku stayed silent. She didn’t move, didn’t speak, and her breathing was even. While Katara’s lower back tightened uncomfortably, Riku still didn’t so much as twitch. 

Laying her head back, Katara could only make out some of the prairie in the bottom of her vision. The storm had passed them by and everything here was dry as brick. It was starting to heat up and the breeze smelled once again like dry dirt and hot rock. The wheels creaked and rattled over the small rocks. Had it not been for that brief glimpse of the night, Katara would have thought she was still living in yesterday. Life was just a wheel travelling over the same road until the end.

The wheel turned and Katara would be up. She would feel confident and assured. Riku would be lucid and just a little mean. And then the wheel would continue to roll. Katara would fall into doubt and Riku’s sanity would dissolve. Everything had smelled like dirt for so long; either when it was clinging to them or simply made up every place they went. It was all exposed rock, with nowhere to rest and nothing to break up the monotony. Dust, metal, mud, rock, and dirt. She hadn’t been comfortable since she left the South Pole for Republic City.

Perhaps the wheel would take them all the way to the palace. And then they would roll right back out. Over and over until a rock or a crystal shattered their axle. 

She had been running for so long. Now, she was just tired. 

Against her chest, Katara could feel Riku’s heartbeat. Steady and strong.


	4. Uninvited Guests

They made it to the next town by midday. It was an active place, but far removed from the size of places like Omashu or Ba Sing Se. If Omashu was a mountain, Suwon was a cairn; it had been erected by mortal hands and stood as a marker in the midst of the sprawling plains. They hadn’t met anyone on the road in, but there was plenty of foot traffic once they arrived in the town proper. Guards at the low gates checked their cart and asked them a few questions, but Riku’s unnatural silence got them through quickly.

Being in such a town was a relief. They could upgrade their transport and slip out without garnering much attention.

“What should we do with her?” Jiro asked as they stopped at a quiet corner. 

Katara looked over at Riku and sighed.

“Let’s get something to eat.” She said. 

Haoran took the cart to a stable while the rest of them took up the bags and wandered to a small noodle shop. Jiro went inside to buy some food and Katara stayed with Riku outside. People flowed by and Katara listened as merchants called out to the masses. Suwon was clearly a popular stop on whatever highway it sat on, and the shops sold more than travel necessities. Women out of the road stood under silk umbrellas and men haggled over the price of leather boots. 

Riku also looked out, her eyes distant as she watched the people pass by. Yet as Katara studied her, she froze when Riku’s eyes sharpened.

“Ty Lee.” Riku whispered.

Blood rushed into Katara’s ears and panic made her start to shiver. Turning around, Katara searched the crowd for whoever had sparked the memory.

“Ty Lee!” Riku shouted, standing suddenly and waving.

Katara jumped up and pinned Riku’s arm down, shushing her sharply. When she looked up to see if anyone had noticed, she made eye contact with a woman.

With Ty Lee.

Blood drained from both their faces, and as Ty Lee began to push through the crowd, Katara looked around for a way out.

Jiro hadn’t arrived, and she couldn’t just run off; it would cause more problems than being discovered.

“Katara?” Ty Lee called out as she got closer.

Katara squeezed her eyes shut and pulled her shoulders up.

“Ty Lee…” Riku said breathlessly.

Katara finally turned and faced Ty Lee, who was staring openly at Riku.

“Is it…?” Ty Lee questioned.

“This is Riku.” Katara said.

And Ty Lee started to cry.

As people paused to look, Jiro exited the noodle shop, freezing at the scene.

“Ty Lee, you need to stop.” Katara hissed.

Riku, alarmed, put her hands on Ty Lee’s arms just as the other woman took gulping breaths to try and calm down.

“I’m sorry.” Ty Lee said in a rush.

“Just sit down.” Katara said sharply and they all sat down. Jiro looked around at the three women, slightly scared.

“Ty Lee, it’s been so long.” Riku said, putting her hands out on the table.

“You remember me?” Ty Lee asked, laying her own hands on top of Riku’s.

“I do. We…” Riku cut off as she frowned. “We went to school together?” 

She sounded unsure and Katara felt her entire body tense. 

Tears started to fall down Ty Lee’s cheeks and Katara gripped the table.

“Can someone explain what exactly is going on?” Jiro whispered.

“Riku had an accident a few years ago.” Katara began, looking pointedly at Ty Lee. “She hasn’t seen Ty Lee since.” 

“You knew me, before.” Riku said softly and Ty Lee nodded, smiling despite her tears.

“Oh Riku, I’m so sorry. For everything.” Ty Lee said in a rush.

“We are not doing this here.” Katara ordered and Ty Lee blinked back at her.

“Right. Of course.” She said and shook her head. “Here, this is where I’m staying.” 

Ty Lee pulled out a piece of paper and a stub of a pencil, writing down the characters in quick, neat strokes. 

“I need to talk to you. Please come see me tonight.” She said and handed the slip to Riku.

“Please.” Ty Lee added firmly, looking now at Katara. After a moment’s hesitation, Katara gave a curt nod.

As Ty Lee left, Katara put her head in her hands with a heavy sigh.

“What did I miss?” Haoran asked.

Katara groaned.

A million thoughts were going through her head, and none of them seemed to be connected. The last time she had seen Ty Lee was back in the Fire Nation at the school. Now she was here, hundreds of miles away and for no apparent reason. 

Unless.

Katara looked at Riku, who was much more animated. She was smiling as she ate her noodles and Katara furrowed her brow as she thought.

Had Xianji found out who Riku really was? If so, had the princess gotten a hold of Ty Lee? After all, Chihiro had been in league with the princess, so it wasn’t an unreasonable idea that Ty Lee could be at least under the effects of the tea.

But there were few people who knew about Riku’s true identity; and even with Zuko, Sokka, and Suki under the thrall of the tea, Xianji hadn’t even known about Katara’s relationship with Zuko. And if Xianji hadn’t asked about that, it was a stretch to assume that she’d have a reason to ask about Azula’s disappearance. 

If Ty Lee was working with Xianji, then it would be for her own reasons. 

Had she known that Katara was travelling with Riku? Did anyone know that?

“So who was that?” Jiro questioned.

“That’s my friend Ty Lee.” Riku replied.

“That is, surprising.” Jiro said and Haoran elbowed him sharply in the side. 

“I can understand that. I used to always wonder if Ty Lee actually liked me.” Riku paused and her face fell slightly. “I think I used to make sure she wouldn’t leave me.”

“That’s ominous.” Jiro muttered and coughed as Haoran elbowed him again. 

“Riku, you have to understand, being around Ty Lee is dangerous.” Katara said.

“I know it gives me a headache, but there’s nothing to worry about. The memories are gone.” Riku said.

Katara chewed on the inside of her lip, looking down at her bowl. 

They had all made assumptions about what the Mother of Faces did. The memories were well and truly gone; Noriko hadn’t recognized her children in the slightest when they arrived in Hira’a. But Riku’s headaches made Katara think something had gone wrong. Noriko had her entire past as Ursa erased, Riku’s life of Azula had been picked clean of Ozai only. Whatever barrier kept her mind from accessing those missing pieces was different than Noriko’s. 

If she had her bending back properly, Katara might have been able to figure out what was going on.

But she was left in the dark with her bending hobbled as it was. 

“Why is her name so familiar?” Haoran questioned.

“Ty Lee was also a friend of the Fire Lord’s sister.” Katara said and then looked up. “She was there during the Ba Sing Se invasion.”

“Well, at least Riku has better friends now.” Jiro said and then dodged Haoran’s elbow. 

“Do you think it’s wise to meet with her? I don’t think she’s very trustworthy.” Haoran said. 

“Ty Lee, on her own, isn’t a problem.” Katara admitted.

“But you think something else is going on, don’t you?” Haoran asked.

“Ty Lee would never trick us. Or, no.” Riku frowned and stabbed her chopsticks into her broth. “She’s…” 

“Riku, I don’t think it’s a good idea to visit her. I think she’s working with the palace.” Katara said.

“To do what? The palace wants you, not me.” Riku said. 

Katara opened her mouth, but nothing came out as her mind failed to find an adequate reason. The only reason why Xianji would think to send Ty Lee was if she knew about Azula. Even then, there wasn’t a good reason to grab the missing Fire Nation princess; it would only complicate things for her.

Unless she wanted Azula dead.

That would involve revealing the truth to Riku, if Katara wanted her to understand the seriousness of the issue. 

Of course, that all hinged upon Ty Lee actually being under Xianji’s control. Which was something she didn’t actually know. 

“We can go see her, if only to find out what’s going on.” Katara said.

“How big of a risk is this? Is she a Firebender or anything?” Haoran asked.

“Ty Lee is a chi blocker. She can make your bending inaccessible, temporarily.” Katara answered. Jiro looked sick but Haoran just sighed. 

“If we meet her alone, then it’s still four against one. As long as we go in with our guard up, I’d say we have a decent chance of getting out in one piece.” Haoran said. 

“We should plan on just getting out of here. In case the worst does happen.” Jiro added.

“What even is our plan? We’re days away from the coast and I don’t think this town has an airship port.” Haoran asked.

“We have to get to the Fire Nation as quickly as possible.” Katara said.

“I don’t think you’re going to make it before the council meeting.” Haoran said. “It’s nearly the end of summer.” 

Katara leaned back in her chair and put her hands in her hair. 

“Let’s just see what Ty Lee wants.” She said. “Maybe it’ll give us something to work with.”

They finished their lunch and then set out to gather their supplies. The stable where the ostrich horses were offered to buy the pair if they decided to change up their transport. Otherwise, they also sold tack and feed, giving them better supplies to make the longer trip. Katara made sure they had new clothes; the outfits from Ba Sing Se weren’t overly fancy, but they wouldn’t hold up well for rough travelling. Riku also pointed out some scarves, which would double as a disguise while also protecting them from the sun. 

Coming into the Earth Kingdom had soaked them to their bones, but travelling out during the dry season threatened to suck the life out of them. 

While they were wandering through the town, Katara worried that Ty Lee followed them. Of course, she never caught sight of her, but that didn’t mean anything.

Katara remembered being chased by Azula. With Zuko, their group seemed prone to bumping into their pursuer instead of being actively hunted. Azula was something different; she had moved with military precision going after them. It had only been luck that saved them on a number of occasions. 

Without Azula, Katara wondered how Ty Lee and Mai functioned. Clearly, Katara had never spent time alone with Mai, and even her moments with Ty Lee had been rare. In the imperial city, Ty Lee was subdued, letting Chihiro lead things in her own school. 

Sokka had written about living with Ty Lee, and Katara wondered if the woman was any good being on her own. The Kyoshi Warriors had not been a good fit, making both Sokka and Suki worry about her. 

Katara, so far removed from Ty Lee outside of Azula, hadn’t cared at all about her struggle.

Now, she wished she knew more about Ty Lee’s temperament. It might give her a clue as to why Ty Lee was now in Suwon.

By late afternoon, their group had come to a decision point. They were ready to head out, and in fact, none of them had expected to spend the night in the town. But if they were going to meet Ty Lee, they would have to linger.

“Here’s the deal.” Katara said. Walking down an alley, they kept out of sight from the main road. 

“You two need to stay at the stables.” She went on.

“What?” Haoran balked.

“If Ty Lee does turn out to be a problem, you’ll need to be ready to go with the cart.” Katara said.

“If she turns out to be a problem, will you two be able to even get out?” Jiro asked.

“We’ll be fine.” Riku said dismissively.

“No offense, but this person who was friends with a traitor just drops out of the sky, wants to have a chat, and you think you’re going to be fine?” Haoran asked.

“Well, it’s…” Katara fidgeted and looked around at each of the others. There were too many secrets and not enough time to work anything else out. 

“Worst case scenario, Ty Lee tries to kill us.” She managed to continue.

“Only that?” Jiro muttered.

“But the best case is that she helps us. She can get us to the Fire Nation faster than we can go on our own.” Katara went on. 

“Look, this isn’t just about you. Our sister is trapped in the palace.” Haoran said.

“And so is my brother.” Katara snapped. “I’m not going to do anything to risk him, or anyone else.” 

Haoran and Jiro looked at each other and Haoran crossed his arms over his chest before letting out a sigh. 

“We’ll meet you at the west gate in two hours.” He said, turning back to look at them. “If you don’t make it back, we’re going in and leveling the building.” 

“Good call.” Riku said with a laugh.

Katara ignored her, pulling out Ty Lee’s note from her pocket. As she handed it to Haoran, he hesitated.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” He asked.

“I have to be.” She replied.

Haoran sighed again and took the note. Katara waved goodbye and she and Riku walked back into town. 

Even as dusk settled over the town, there were still plenty of people outside. It made Katara’s skin crawl as she felt certain someone was watching her. But every time she looked around, there were only clusters of people shopping or swapping gossip.

For once, Riku seemed oblivious and was humming tunelessly to herself. It was the first time Katara had ever seen her happy, or even in a good mood. 

Typical of Ty Lee, she had taken a room at a tavern. Katara and Riku walked in, momentarily deafened by the noise of the people gathered for dinner. A man pushed past them as they lingered in the doorway and Katara lowered her eyes as he glared at her.

“Let’s go.” Riku whispered, tugging on her hand. 

They started to walk to the back of the tavern, stepping gingerly between tables and around boisterous patrons. When they approached the bar next to the staircase, a woman leaned over to stop them.

“Can I help you ladies?” The woman asked, sounding angry. 

“We’re here to see a friend. She’s in room three.” Katara said. The woman looked them over before huffing out a breath.

“Go on up.” She said, before adding quickly. “You better not be up to anything. I don’t need Haruki accusing me of taking business away from her again.” 

“No ma’am.” Katara said hurriedly and shoved Riku up the stairs. 

The small second floor took up a third of the floorplan yet there were five doors crammed along the hall. Walking to the end, they stopped at the last door on the left. A brass number three was nailed into the door and Katara frowned.

Riku knocked impatiently and Katara felt the muscles in her back tighten.

Quick footsteps moved behind the door and it was quickly pulled open. Ty Lee barreled out of the room, throwing her arms around Riku’s neck.

“You came!” She squealed.

Riku smiled somberly as she put her arms around Ty Lee and they hugged for a moment.

“Good, wonderful, can we go in now?” Katara hissed.

“Oh, right.” Ty Lee popped backward and stood aside, gesturing for them to enter.

Katara walked in first, looking around the small room. Beyond the linens on the bed and a leather satchel at the foot, there was nothing, and no one, else in the room.

“I’m so glad you came.” Ty Lee gushed as she shut the door.

“Why are you here?” Katara questioned, whirling around. 

Ty Lee’s eyes widened and she took a step back.

“Chihiro sent me.” She said.

“Chihiro?” Katara sputtered.

Convinced that the Hirasawas were working with Xianji, Katara’s stomach twisted. 

“Who’s Chihiro?” Riku asked. 

“She poisoned me.” Katara hissed.

“Well that’s a problem.” Riku said just as Ty Lee interjected, waving her hands.

“No, no, she didn’t. Well, she did, but that wasn’t what was supposed to happen.” Ty Lee said.

“Oh I’m fairly certain I know what was supposed to happen. I heard her talking to her father about what was _supposed_ to happen to me.” Katara retorted.

“You don’t understand, Chihiro is trying to help.” Ty Lee said.

“I don’t think you have the best track record for picking the right side.” Katara shot back. 

Ty Lee flinched and she glanced over at Riku before walking to the bed. Sighing, she sat down and rested her arms on her legs. 

“Look, I have been trying so hard to be one of you. I went to Kyoshi and that didn’t work out. I came home and Zuko-” Ty Lee’s head snapped up and she looked at Riku.

Riku waved a hand before crossing her arms over her chest.

“I know the Fire Lord and I have a contentious relationship.” She said.

Ty Lee frowned, but sighed and looked back down at the floor. 

“And with the school, nothing fit. Chihiro was better at everything anyway. I thought about going home but, I’d just be.” Ty Lee broke off and flexed her hands. “There was only one time in my life where I felt like I got to be myself. And I got to be important.” 

“When you were hunting us.” Katara said dryly.

Ty Lee snorted and looked up, a playful smile on her face. 

“I mean, we were pretty good at it you have to admit.” She said. 

“You-!” Katara’s voice cut off in a strangled gargle. 

“I want to be with, with Mai and Riku again.” Ty Lee said. “So I told Chihiro I’d go find you.”

“Does Chihiro know about Riku?” Katara questioned and Ty Lee shook her head.

“Mai doesn’t even know.” She replied. 

Katara sighed and rubbed her eyes. 

“So how did you know Katara was with me?” Riku asked.

“I found Noren. Your father.” Ty Lee said forcefully. “I’ve been tracking you ever since.”

“How did you know we’d be here?” Katara asked.

“When I hit the coast, I heard about what happened in Omashu. I figured you’d come to a town like this for supplies.” Ty Lee said.

“Omashu was only a few days ago. How did you get here so quickly?” Katara asked.

“Because I brought a tank.” Ty Lee said with a smile. 

Riku laughed and Katara just stared. 

“You’re running out of time you know. The council meeting is in a matter of days and you have to get back to the palace.” Ty Lee said. 

“A tank is not going to get us across an ocean.” Katara countered.

“But an airship will.” Ty Lee stated.

“You were always so clever!” Riku said and clapped her hands together. Ty Lee turned, her eyes bright as she looked at Riku.

They all jumped as the door crashed open, splintering apart as it hit the far wall. 

Katara turned, pulling water from her pouch while Riku lowered her stance with fire daggers in her hands. 

“Playtime’s over.” A large man growled as he ducked through the doorframe. Two more men followed him. 

Katara sighed. This was getting tiresome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hit a mental roadblock, but the meds are working, the rest of the book is outlined, and I really, REALLY want to get to the next book so let's GOOOOOOOO!


	5. The State of Affairs

“Sorry, this is a private event.” Ty Lee said. She jumped, planting one foot square on the lead man’s chest. It was enough to make him stumble back into the other two, and Katara watched the quick work of Ty Lee’s chi blocking. This forced the man to fall, bringing down the other two with him.

As Ty Lee flipped out into the hall, Riku was right behind her, stepping on the men without a second thought. Muttering, Katara followed suit. 

The wall next to the door held a window, but that was still a two story drop to the ground. Riku did bother to look, but headed back toward the stairs. As she approached, two more men rushed to the top.

Riku shot out a fireball, making the men lean back into the stairwell. The wall next to them exploded and Riku leaped through the fire. Sticking out her tongue, Ty Lee somersaulted out.

She obviously still trusted Riku implicitly. 

Gritting her teeth, Katara ran toward the now visible hole in the wall, using a water whip to trip one of the assailants. In the split second she had to make a decision, she saw Ty Lee swinging on a chandelier for a moment before dropping down onto a table Riku had already disturbed. 

Muttering, Katara snapped out the water whip, watching it curl around an arm of the chandelier. Leaping out, the water whip snapped and she fell on her back when she landed on the table.

“Time to go!” Ty Lee chirped, dragging Katara off the table. 

Men were running down the stairs, but by now the patrons of the tavern had scattered, leaving them an open space. Riku made it to the front door first, throwing it open and finding a wall of earth blocking their exit. 

“I am done dealing with these dirt mongers.” Riku seethed. She backed up and Katara watched her take a very familiar stance. White lightning curled around her fingers and people started screaming. 

Turning around, Katara brought up two ropes of water and used them to slingshot a chair at the men attacking them. As it smashed apart, Ty Lee jumped onto a table and started kicking bottles directly at them. The glass shattered, spilling more liquid, and Katara buffed up the little water she had managed to carry. 

While the men shielded themselves, Katara and Ty Lee were almost knocked prone by a loud crack.

“Out!” Riku called. Katara turned and saw the smoking hole left by her direct lightning strike. 

“Right behind you!” Ty Lee called and jumped down, landing neatly on her feet. Katara ran with her and they all ended up in the street. 

No one was waiting for them, and Katara felt a shiver run down her back. It was dark, and difficult to see; a Yuyan Archer could be anywhere. 

“Where is your tank?” Riku called.

“Just outside the west gate.” Ty Lee replied.

“It better be big.” Katara said.

“It’ll fit us just fine.” Ty Lee replied.

A boulder shot past them and bombed the road in front. Without enough water, Katara could only push a stream in front of them, washing away the rock and debris. 

“Ty Lee, take care of them.” Riku ordered.

“Okie dokie!” Ty Lee said and turned abruptly on her feet. 

Another boulder flew at them and Ty Lee made a vertical leap that made Katara slow. With a dainty motion, Ty Lee stepped on the boulder before pushing it away, moving almost like a Bender. The momentum was enough to propel her forward and toward the men running after them. 

“Keep up!” Riku snapped.

Shaking her head, Katara ran faster to catch up. People were still out, but they were still with all of the commotion. Keeping her head down, Katara wondered if there was any use in keeping a low profile. It was going to be obvious who had been here. 

“Took you long enough.” Riku remarked. 

Katara startled as Ty Lee jumped down from an adjacent rooftop. 

“Sorry. I’m out of practice.” She said. 

Katara saw Riku smile and she frowned. 

“There they are.” Riku said.

“Who?” Ty Lee asked but they all stopped as Haoran and Jiro stepped into the road, holding the ostriches’ reins. 

“Okay, so good news.” Katara said, jogging up and taking the reins before tossing them back onto the driving board. “We got a new ride.” 

“Ooooh, but they’re big.” Ty Lee said. 

“Bad news is, we have to leave right now.” Katara added, moving to the back of the cart and grabbing a bag.

“So she wasn’t a problem?” Jiro asked, pointing at Ty Lee.

“She’s not the problem.” Katara corrected. 

“Let’s go!” Riku shouted and both brothers jumped. They all grabbed a bag and Haoran quickly wrapped the reins of the cart around a lamppost. At least in front of the stables, they would have a chance at staying put.

Darting down a side road, the group ran to the western gate. The guards were anxious, having heard the earlier ruckus but unsure of what was going on. Now seeing the five of them running toward them, they stepped out and held up large boulders.

“Ty Lee.” Riku called.

“Already on it!” Ty Lee replied and dropped the bag in her hands before darting forward. She moved in a zig-zag, not letting the guard react before she got in close. The quick jabs and the man dropped. 

So did his boulder.

“Oh come on!” Jiro yelled, sliding forward and using his bending to catch the massive rock before it fell on Ty Lee. He swung it with exertion, knocking it into the other guard’s boulder as Ty Lee zipped over to him as well. 

Jiro tossed the two rocks aside with a yell just as Ty Lee ran back.

“Nice rock slinging.” Ty Lee said and smiled at him. Jiro recoiled, looking at Haoran, who threw his bag at him. 

“Keep it moving.” Haoran said and they began running again.

“You did say her thing was temporary right?” Jiro asked Katara as they ran. They both looked at the guards when they ran past; they were out cold. 

“Ty Lee hasn’t killed anyone. That I know of.” Katara said.

“Not yet!” Ty Lee added. 

Jiro blanched and Katara shook her head.

“So where is this ride?” Haoran asked as they made it out of the gate.

“Just down the road here.” Ty Lee said. 

“I don’t see, woah.” Haoran pointed and Katara turned.

Down the road and tucked into the sparse brush, acting as the worst camouflage, was the largest tank Katara had even seen.

“That thing is a behemoth.” Jiro said.

“How does this thing move faster than the cart?” Katara asked. They all slowed as they approached and Ty Lee jumped up the massive treads, heading for the hatch.

“You saw the drill. Why would you think the Fire Nation would make anything slow?” She said. 

Katara didn’t turn her head, but she could feel Haoran and Jiro freeze. 

“Oh, are you boys from Ba Sing Se? Sorry about that.” Ty Lee said, sucking on her teeth in shallow sympathy. 

“Whatever. Let’s just go.” Haoran muttered. 

“The engine must be massive.” Riku said as she climbed up. “Are we all going to fit?”

“This thing doesn’t run on coal.” Ty Lee said and flipped the hatch lid back. “But it’ll still be a little tight.” 

She jumped down into the hatch and Katara climbed up the tread. She moved gingerly, fearing the moment it turned on. 

One by one they all dropped into the dark interior. They bumped into each other, jostling for space, with the only light coming in from the open hatch. 

“Ready?” Ty Lee asked. Before anyone could answer, an engine roared to life. A row of lights that ran around the inside of the tiny, metal box lit up. Riku climbed partially back up the ladder to close the hatch, jumping down just before the tank lurched forward.

The sound was intense, but it was the speed that struck Katara dumb. 

“There are earmuffs somewhere back there.” Ty Lee yelled over the monstrous roar. Katara looked over and saw Ty Lee hand Riku a pair, while wearing one herself. 

Jiro pried open various cubbies under their seats until he found three more pairs. Slipping them on, the noise became a rattling in Katara’s teeth but at least lessened the pressure on her ears. 

It was impossible to talk with the noise, but Katara watched Riku and Ty Lee warily. The two of them were far too in sync. It would raise questions, and Katara still wasn’t certain what side Ty Lee was on. 

Lucky that Ty Lee was able to take out five grown Earthbenders nearly single handedly. Lucky that they were able to get away so easily. 

Katara looked down at the metal floor, clasping her hands together. Images rotated in her mind like a flipbook. The ones that linger twists up her insides and Katara puts her hands on top of her earmuffs, hunching over.

Hearing Zuko in the Ba Sing Se teashop had terrified her. So she had run, heading straight into another trap. And not even a day later, when she was trapped in the catacombs with him, she realized he had suffered in just the same way she had.

If Katara had just stayed, if she had taken the time to figure out what the prince of the Fire Nation was doing serving tea, would any of that day had even happened?

Would she have run into Suki’s arms, just to see Azula’s golden eyes?

Gripping the back of her head, Katara took in a sharp breath. Letting it out slowly, she relaxed her fingers at the same time. Tilting her head up, she saw Haoran and Jiro watching her. 

How much longer could she go on like this?

Katara turned away, pulling her legs onto the bench and awkwardly tucking herself into a corner. There was not much space at all inside the tank and the bench was narrow. Pressing her knees together, and her hip into the shuddering metal wall, Katara focused on the rumbling.

They were moving quickly, so at least there was that. And regardless of Ty Lee’s intentions, they would be heading to the palace. And that was all that mattered; she had to get to Zuko.

The shaking was enough to drive her mad. Time became both an eternity and just the singular present moment. A feeling of vertigo swayed inside her head and Katara found herself grateful for the bone shattering moments when the tank jumped over a large rock, or felled tree. 

When the movement stopped, Katara wondered if she had even noticed right away. 

Haoran and Jiro were antsy; they were the first to stand and Haoran went up the ladder to open the tank hatch. He must have called back down, because Jiro followed quickly before Katara could even remove her earmuffs.

Looking over, she watched as Ty Lee took Riku’s pair, stowing them away while Riku said something.

“Ready Katara?” Ty Lee asked. 

Katara nodded and climbed up the ladder. The night air was much cooler than inside of the tank and she shivered. Her muscles trembled as she scrambled onto the top of the tank and Jiro took her arm to steady her. Haoran used his bending to make a slide and Jiro sat her on it.

“Isn’t this cute.” Riku said dryly before jumping down. Katara patted the dirt off her backside as Ty Lee flipped off the tank, landing neatly beside Riku. 

Looking away, Riku tugged on the sides of her hair to smooth them down.

It was a very familiar gesture that Katara had seen before. 

“Okay, we need an explanation right now.” Haoran said and cleared his ramp away with more force than necessary.

“Ty Lee is…” Katara started, holding open her hand but losing the thread of her thought. 

“I’m a former acrobat and royalist who fought with the Princess Azula before becoming a Kyoshi Warrior and now I’m here to help!” Ty Lee said cheerfully. Haoran looked at her as she spoke, but turned his incredulous gaze on Katara.

“It’s complicated.” She muttered.

“This whole thing has been complicated!” Jiro shouted, throwing his arms up.

“Jiro.” Haoran warned but Jiro shook his head.

“No. No more of this. I get that you have some weird, adventurous past, but you asked for our help and now we’re dealing with things we can’t prepare for. It’s just thing after thing after assassin with you.” Jiro yelled. 

Katara flinched but stayed silent.

“Who are you?” Jiro asked, pointing at Riku. Unperturbed, Riku shrugged.

“I haven’t the faintest idea. But I was definitely someone no one particularly liked.” She replied.

“I liked you.” Ty Lee said softly.

“Then who are you?” Jiro asked. “Why are you here?”

“Honestly? I’m just here for her.” Ty Lee said, gesturing to Riku. “If getting her home safe and sound means helping you, then I will.”

“So we can count on you to bail when things go sideways?” Jiro shot back.

“I wouldn’t say that.” Ty Lee replied.

“And who do you have hunting you?” Jiro demanded, now facing Katara.

“I can narrow it down to three people.” Katara said.

“Oh please yes, let’s narrow it down.” Jiro said derisively. 

“Both the queen and the princess of Anyan have separate reasons for getting to me. And someone within the White Lotus, possibly.” Katara said.

Jiro gaped at her, mouth open, and scoffed for a moment.

“Two heads of state and a member of a powerful secret society?” Jiro repeated. “Is that all?”

“Don’t forget the spirit that was tagging along for some reason.” Riku added. 

Katara glared at her but Riku crossed her arms over her chest and shot her an indifferent look.

“Right, the homicidal spirit that was killed back in Omashu after assassins came.” Jiro muttered.

“Sounds like you’ve had an exciting time.” Ty Lee said.

Katara walked back and sat on the tank tread, rubbing her face.

“Why are you even doing this? What is the point?” Jiro asked.

“I’m in love with Zuko!” Katara snapped, moving her hands to the sides of her face. “I’m in love with the Fire Lord and that’s causing some problems for people.” 

“Spirit problems?” Haoran asked with genuine curiosity.

“It’s a destiny thing.” Riku said offhandedly. 

“You are in love, with the Fire Lord.” Jiro repeated.

Katara nodded and Jiro shouted in frustration.

“All of this because you locked lips with the Fire Lord?” He questioned.

“Look, it’s not like we thought a princess was going to try and take over the world by brainwashing everyone in the palace.” Katara retorted.

“True. There are far simpler ways.” Riku interjected. 

“You are already creepy enough thanks.” Jiro said, glancing at Riku.

“None of this righteous anger matters. It doesn’t help anything.” Riku said.

“How can I know I can trust any of you?” Jiro asked.

“Why should you have to trust us? You need us, same as we need you.” Riku dropped her arms down her side and Katara watched her fingers flex. Azula kept claws for a reason.

“You want to save your sister. I have a debt to pay. That one wants to save her one true love. I don’t particularly care about why you’re here, but I do know that having two brawn over brains Earthbenders can help me get to where I need to be.” Riku explained. “Xianji and your sister are Earthbenders, and while my bending is superior, I know I’ll already have my hands full handling whatever else is waiting for us in the palace.”

“This just means you’ll abandon us when it’s convenient.” Jiro stated.

“Of course! I’ll have a better chance actually completing the mission that, beyond your petty domestic reasons, actually has an impact on the rest of the world. I’ll cut you and anyone else off once I don’t need you or if you become a liability.” Riku straightened and smiled at Jiro, who stood fuming. “But that is stronger than any foolish concept of trust. I can guarantee you that I’ll get you as far as possible before I ultimately have to finish the damn thing, with or without you.”

“You’re psychotic.” Jiro said and turned away.

“I’m right.” Riku said. 

“Riku has the least to lose among us. But she’s stuck with me this entire time.” Katara added.

“How am I supposed to believe you? You’ve done nothing but hide or twist the truth whenever something has come up.” Jiro kept his back to her but Katara could hear the disgust in his tone.

“If the Fire Lord loves you back, I’m not certain I even care about saving him.” Jiro continued and walked off.

Haoran grabbed his brother by the shoulder, whispering something, but Jiro shrugged him off and continued out into the empty field. Haoran went after him and Katara sighed, deflating.

“So, you and Zuko huh?” Ty Lee asked, swinging on the ladder bolted to the side of the tank. Katara glowered at her and Ty Lee grinned. 

“I can see it. You’re both weird about duty and loyalty. But how’d you end up here?” She asked.

“I don’t want to talk to you about it Ty Lee.” Katara muttered.

Ty Lee looked at Riku, who sighed as she walked closer.

“I’m going to get camp set up.” Riku announced. Ty Lee watched Riku climb up to the hatch, waiting until she fell into the tank.

“I think I’m the only one you can actually talk to, all things considered.” Ty Lee said as she turned back.

“You don’t know anything about this.” Katara said.

“Why, because I’m the bad guy?” Ty Lee snorted and Katara frowned.

“Everyone seems to forget that I spent the last six years in Kyoshi, away from my home.” Ty Lee added.

“Did anything change?” Katara asked.

“I learned that I like girls, a lot.” Ty Lee said bluntly and Katara sputtered out a laugh. “I got to know your brother and Suki pretty well too.”

“I’m coming back up.” Riku announced. Katara shied away but Ty Lee smiled as Riku came back down the ladder, a large sack tied to her back.

“Have fun.” Ty Lee said and Riku grumbled before walking away, heading in a different direction from Haoran and Jiro.

“I... haven’t been around much.” Katara said softly.

“Yeah, I heard.” Ty Lee said and paused to sit on the tread next to Katara. “Your brother missed you.” 

“It’s weird to think about you spending time with him.” Katara stated.

“It was weird being around him.” Ty Lee admitted. “Your brother, how should I put this, he’s very protective. He watched me for a long time and I know he and Suki argued about me being in Kyoshi.” 

“What changed?”

“I tried to leave and Suki sent him after me. We had a bonding moment.” Ty Lee said. “Sokka and I have a lot in common.” 

“I really can’t imagine what that would be.” Katara replied lightly. 

“We both feel a little lost in the world. We struggle with things like being special, being important, or glory. We spent a lot of time comparing ourselves to our sister, or sisters in my case, and we both want to be different without looking like an idiot.” Ty Lee explained. “Sokka taught me a lot about how to be okay just being me.” 

“I didn’t know he felt like that.” Katara said.

“I think you did. If you really sat down and examined him, but who wants to do that to their own brother?” Ty Lee remarked. 

“Does he trust you?” Katara asked.

“I’d like to think so.” Ty Lee said. She then tilted her head to look at Katara. “Do you trust me?”

“I don’t know.” Katara answered. “You’re telling me things that I’d obviously want to hear. But that’s more like…”

“More like Azula.” Ty Lee finished and looked out into the deepening darkness. A fire caught some distance away where Riku set up camp. 

“Do you trust her?” Ty Lee asked.

“I. Yes, I do.” Katara stammered. 

“But not Azula.”

“She’s not Azula.”

“She is though. Just because she can’t remember it, she’s still the same person who did what you pinned on Azula.” Ty Lee said. 

“Azula was a monster.” Katara snapped.

“That’s what everyone told her, isn’t it?” Ty Lee asked.

“That doesn’t excuse what she did.” Katara said sharply.

“Of course not. But she was fourteen and abused. How long does she have to be punished before she’s allowed to be happy?” Ty Lee asked.

“Riku is allowed to be happy.” Katara stated.

“Azula deserves to be happy.” Ty Lee corrected her. “And you need to be okay with that.”

Ty Lee stood up and Katara grabbed her wrist quickly. 

“You can’t tell her.” Katara whispered. “We don’t know what that will do.”

Ty Lee looked down at her hand and Katara retracted it.

“I won’t tell her. But that doesn’t change who she really is.” Ty Lee said.

Katara sat back, alone, as Ty Lee walked to the fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so what happened was.....
> 
> I'm not really jazzed about how this story is going. And I've been very, very close to scrapping the whole thing. But! Honestly that's not cool so I'm not gonna.
> 
> What is going to change is that my chapters are going to be shorter. I've accepted that this story is not going where I want it to, but I need to hit certain points to wrap this up. Once I do, I can move on and when we get to the rewrite, I'll do better.
> 
> Shorter chapters, but more frequent updates.
> 
> Thanks for waiting!!!


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